1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a package simultaneously dispensing two separate compositions.
2. Related Art
Often there is a need for separately packaging different compositions during storage which compositions must later be combined at the point of use. Separation may be required because of chemical reactivity or physical incompatibility during the storage period. Certain health and beauty aids, cleaning compositions and dental formulas may be benefited by packaging that separates respective components of these products.
Numerous patents have disclosed packages that separate reactive components of dental formulas. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,639,699 and 1,699,532 each to Hopkins describe double collapsible tubes. An inner tube holds a first chemically reactive paste while a second outer tube surrounds the first inner one and holds a second chemically reactive paste. Both inner and outer pastes combine with one another in a common outlet nozzle. A similar system for delivering separate paste and gel dentifrices is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,341 (Weyn).
A number of patents have described side-by-side collapsible tubes for toothpaste compositions having separate components in the respective tube. For instance, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,757 (Kiozpeoplou) in FIG. 1 as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,528,180, 4,687,663 and 4,849,213, each of which is to Schaeffer.
A common problem of the known art is the inability to control the relative flow of each component from its respective compartment in the dual delivery system. Especially there is a problem in expressing or extruding equal volumes of the two components. Moreover the known art has not provided a system which can accomplish the foregoing uniform extrusion through manipulation with a single hand movement.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dual container system containing separate respective compositions whose extrusion can be highly regulated.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dual container system with separate compartments containing respective compositions that can be simultaneously extruded therefrom through pressure applied by a single hand thereby freeing the other hand for other manipulations.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a dual container system wherein two compartments holding separate compositions can be disposable while the surrounding pressure mechanism is reusable.